The Exorcist 40th Anniversary extended edition coming to Blu-ray this October

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

It's going to be an excellent day for an exorcism on October 8th, when Warner Bros. celebrates the 40th anniversary of Academy Award winning director William Friedkin's suspense masterpiece THE EXORCIST with a new Blu-ray release featuring the Extended Director's Cut and Theatrical Version with new special features.

The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition will include two new featurettes: "Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist" and "Talk of the Devil," as well as an excerpt from Friedkin's book The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir.

Also cool: Friedkin and author William Peter Blatty will attend a special 40th Anniversary screening of their film at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. on October 30. The film will also have an exclusive theatrical engagement October 31 through November 7th at the AMC Georgetown.

Dig the full list of Special Features, many of which are available on other editions, here:

· Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist (NEW) 40 years after his novel was published, The Exorcist author, screenwriter and producer returns to where it all began. First stop is a cabin/guest house in the hills of Encino, California, where Blatty wrote the novel. The author visits the place for The First Time in 40 years and shares not only memories of writing the book, but also discusses how it inspired him. We then meet Blatty in two key and iconic locations; Georgetown University where the film was shot, and at the now-famous Exorcist steps. Throughout, Blatty reads from his novel, including an excerpt from a chilling newly published passage.
· Talk of the Devil (NEW) – While at Georgetown University, William Peter Blatty heard about a true case of possession from Father Eugene Gallagher. At the time the film came out, the priest talked at length about exorcism, the true story and about Blatty; this footage is now available for The First Time in many years. It is as revealing as it is shocking.
· Two Commentaries by William Friedkin
· Commentary by William Peter Blatty
· Introduction by William Friedkin
· 1998 BBC Documentary "The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist"
· Raising Hell: Filming the Exorcist Set footage produced and photographed by Owen Roizman, camera and makeup tests, and interviews with director William Friedkin, actress Linda Blair, author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty and Owen Roizman.
· The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now — Featuring a tour of the iconic locations where the film was shot.
· Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist – with director William Friedkin and author/screenwriter/producer William Peter Blatty discussing the different versions of the film and featuring outtakes from the film.
· Original Ending
· Interviews
o The Original Cut
o Stairway to Heaven
o The Final Reckoning
· Sketches & Storyboards
· Radio Spots
· TV Spots
· Trailers

Linda Blair approves!